Netflix Cancels Action Comedy After One Season

Released on November 30, 2023, the series quickly earned eyeballs for its compelling blend of humor and action. Indeed, in a strong showing, the show peaked at numero uno on Netflix’s English-language charts during its second week on the website. Moreover, Obliterated managed to maintain a holding in the Top Ten for all of six weeks—a testament to its initial buzz and broad appeal. Unfortunately, despite its respectable performance, the biggest name in streaming opted to pass another season. Its a surprising, even puzzling development, given Netflix’s usual protocol for extending or axing series’ lifespans.

As industry insiders know, Netflix typically determines a show’s future by comparing viewing numbers with production costs. While the show’s production costs might have been steep, Obliterated nonetheless inspired binging, evidenced by its prolonged stint on the Top 10. Thus, the cancellation is an enigmatic situation undoubtedly irking fans. 

The masterminds behind Cobra Kai, John Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald created the series sporting a unique take on the tried-and-true action genre. It related the exploits of an elite Special Forces squad tasked with surmounting deadly threats to Las Vegas. Upon neutralizing a nuclear weapon that would have otherwise destroyed Vegas, the team–put together from several branches of the U.S. military and intelligence community, led by CIA officer Ava Winters (played by Shelly Hennig) and Navy SEAL Nick Zano (Chad McKnight)—gets really drunk. 

The Obliterated team’s on the town involve all the things that happen in Las Vegas and, hopefully, stay there: sex, booze, and drugs. Soon, however, the hopelessly hungover heroes learn that the nuke they supposedly turned off was, in fact, a fake. Which leaves them no choice but to wade through their own hangovers and track down the real nuke—before it’s too late. What follows is a quirky, sharply written take on the action-comedy genre, harkening to heavy hitters like Nicolas Cage’s The Rock and the more recent Jack Reacher universe. 

Obliterated had the best of intentions, even if it was a tad unoriginal, and certainly benefitted from a big-budget studio; we’re talking Sony Pictures Television, who produced the show. The creators mentioned above handled executive production duties, alongside Dina Hillier. Heald, Hurtwitz, and Schlossberg all work out of Counterbalance Entertainment, the firm responsible for a slew of notable comedies, like the Harold & Kumar franchise, Hot Tub Time Machine, American Reunion, and Blockers. Counterbalance aimed to translate the three-act structure they knew well to an eight-episode season, ideally creating a lovechild of The Hangover and Die Hard. Ultimately, though Obliterated did, in fact, die-hard (last pun: we promise), the trio at Counterbalance are still in cahoots with Netflix, producing the final, sixth season of Cobra Kai as we speak. Source: Deadline